The good, the bad, and the Bieber

Everybody's got 'em. Here are my picks for the Best and Worst Super Bowl XLV ads: 

Best: 

Volkswagen – The Force. I lived this scenario when Jack dressed up as Darth Vader for Halloween one year. What a perfect ad, endearing, sweet and memorable. 

Inspirational: 

Chrysler 200 – Eminem ‘Imported From Detroit.' Unlike the pre-game rah rah America propaganda, this ad packed a humble, gritty punch.Well done. 

Funny: 

Bridgestone – Reply All. Hil-a-r-i-ous! Who among us hasn't hit Reply All and wanted to go over hill and dale to take it back? 

Worst: 

Coca Cola – Dragon. Completely off brand. It’s like some Harry Potter geek at Coke decided to mock up his amateur screenplay in CGI and the marketing team ran with it. An open message to Madison Avenue: Enough already with dragons, wizards and warlocks. Kids today are dork-exposed enough with DS, XBOX, Mario Cart Galaxy II, and Bieber Fever. I’d like Coke to raise the bar. If I wasn’t addicted to the product, I’d boycott. 

Honorable mentions

Funny:  Best Buy: Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber.... Ozzy: “What’s a Bieber?!”

Disgusting:  Test baby (why even mention the company name)                                     

Icky-funny: Doritos – entertaining albeit slightly gross. 

Ads and ad themes I’m sick of:

eTrade baby – Grow up - you're so very 2008. 

Tackling, punching, pummeling, causing pain for shock value. I'm looking at you, Snickers. 

Budweiser – For God's sake, pick a theme and stick to it. You’re all over the map. Whazzup with that?

What ads did you love? What did you hate?

Crying wolf?

Coyotes are all over the local news here. And they may be all over our yard. It could explain the cat's serious reluctance to go outside. I spotted these tracks this afternoon - it's hard to tell, but that's a quarter next to one of the tracks for scale. I could make out claws and the tracks are in a fairly straight line. So, nature lovers, what do you think? Dog, coyote or... wolf? 

You blinked!

Avoiding bedtime last night (yet again) Jack got out of his bed, stood in his doorway and yelled this down the hall:

"JUST SO YOU KNOW... Stuffed animals always win in a staring contest." 

A few minutes later, Sam (loudly from his bed): "They don't have eyelids, you know." 

Animal Vid Picks of the Week

Our favorite animal videos of the week - in no particular order:

Zen Kitties
Love the whole video vibe - and God knows Auggie wouldn't stand (or sit) for it. But particularly love the orange kitty - perhaps the 'red headed step-child' cat of this family - who is doing his best to Zen it up with his Yin-Yang bretheren. Diversity rocks.

My Dolphin Hero
At a dolphin "petting" place (ick) one graceful, intelligent sea-faring beauty does what perhaps we all might do if stuck in this situation. Step off folks. (The Lajasa gang believes ocean mammals belong exclusively in the ocean. We roll with a "Free Willy" policy.)

Kitty is a Very BAD Mystic (by Klattu42)
I love this video. And I quote it so often now, the boys can't take it anymore. In a quiet moment, I might yowl out, "TREAT!" "Mouse... MOUSE!" Do I get laughs? No. I get dirty looks and pleas to "STOP IT MOM! You're FREAKING us out!" Oh what-ever.
MOUSE, MOUSE, MOUSE! Treat. treat. YAWN.

Disclaimer: The first two links came from the Purina site, though I don't endorse or dis-endorse any of their products. The third link is on YouTube - and I love all of Klattu42's pet voice over videos. Funny stuff.

What's that noise? Duh, mummies & pirates

On a conference call at work this week, I grabbed a Wall-E notebook I brought in from home. I flipped through to find a blank page and discovered I had written a few notes the night the Chilean miners were rescued. The notes were 'quotes' from the boys as we watched the amazing rescues – one after the other – at least until bedtime. 

The announcers were recalling the miner’s harrowing weeks and days underground, and one mentioned something about cracking or creaking sounds from below.

"I think I know what the cracking sound is," Jack said. “You know in Egypt? The mummies? How they’re under there… the skeletons?? And when they move the bones crack together." He paused, "I’d wanna run right outta there."

I turned the page and the conversation continued. This time, Sam’s imagination runs wild guessing what the “cracking” sound could be.

"Underground used to be a beach and the pirates sailed there and buried a couple of chests there, and there are diamonds bouncing on the chests and the diamonds will open the chests," he said.

Then Jack, "Maybe the tunnel’s collapsing…. Or, you know Mummies."

Where's the cat? Google her.

My apologies, I've been lax about updating the blog. I came across a couple of entries I never posted. Here's the first - from this past fall.

The other night our cat went missing for several hours after an eventful family night in the front yard that included leaf blowing and nerf tag til dark. I guess all the commotion and gadgets scared the poor girl off.

When it was clear the cat had no intention of coming in out of the cold, coyote-ridden suburban wilderness, we did what any worried family would do. We went inside and ate dinner.

“Wouldn’t it be cool,” Jack said, his eyes shining and mouth full of spaghetti, “if we could…” (takes a break and gulps some milk – then puts his cup down carefully and begins ‘air typing’) “…type in August…” (Takes another HUGE bite of spaghetti) “… in the computer (more air typing) “… and um the, uh, then, um, the computer would…” Another bite. “find her?!”

Brilliant! Like Google Maps for lost pets – Poodle Maps, perhaps. I bet they’re already working on it.

The Real Disney World

The other night I was excitedly thinking ahead to Spring break; that time of year when the kids and I get a bit of time off to travel or just enjoy each other without the day-to-day distractions of homework and housework. I was fondly recalling our trip last spring to Disney World while researching 2011 package prices online. While considering our options and trying to figure out how I could save up enough to make the Disney trek again in March, I started looking through our trip photos. Lots of smiling faces. Magical moments. Pictures with smiling characters. Look ~ there's a Princess!!

Then... I found this short video titled "The Real Disney World." You won't find this in any of the official vacation CDs but it is every bit the "DISNEY EXPERIENCE" with small children.

I would like to send a special shout out to my self - my past self - who had the foresight to capture at least one of the very 'real' moments along with all those picture-perfect ones! See VIDEO below.

Have a magical day.

Being Six

SAM: Six is the perfect age. I wish I could always be 6.
MOM: Oh yeah? What do you like about being 6?
SAM: Everything. I love being 6. I love everything about it.
MOM: Wow! Like what?
SAM: I love playing, I love the pool, I love my friends, going outside, playing baseball, my room, my toys, my family, my cat, and my brother (rolls eyes). I love my books and my school and camp, and doing fun things and my mommy and my daddy and my family and going to Florida and doing fun things.
MOM: That's awesome, Sammy. I love everything about you!
SAM: G'night Mom.
MOM: Goodnight sweetheart. Love you.
***
Know what I love about being 40-something? Watching a pair of 6-year olds love being 6.

Mamma Bear

The boys started first grade at their new school today. They were all smiles as they climbed aboard the big bus. I was a little rattled realizing how giant public school is - knowing I wouldn't be there to protect them, watch over them, keep them safe - the typical protective mom stuff. I felt a little better after reading my KICK ASS horoscope today:

August 23, 2010 VIRGO - "You're not a mean person - not even a little bit. You can be provoked into immature behavior if someone dares to show less than total respect for any cause that's near and dear to your heart. If they've already been warned, or if you know they've heard about your temper, you don't hesitate to come out with both fists raised - and well you should!"

Bullies be warned! ;)

Apparently, Sam learned a new word

Apparently is the word. He’s using it at random in nearly every sentence he says. Apparently. With a tiny bit of creative license, here's Sam in a one-way running commentary during a Wii golf game with his brother: “Apparently, Jack is winning… And apparently I-AM-NOT.”
“OOOOOhhhh!!! Now apparently I am winning. Apparently, Jack, you don’t know how to golf. And I APPARENTLY do. “OOPS! Apparently…”
“NO! Now we’re apparently tied."
“Sam, quit saying ‘apparently’,” I interject. He ignores me and yells “And NOW we’re NOT – BOO-YA!”
Jack leaves the game. Sam, oblivious, keeps talking. "JACK IT’S YOUR TURN! JAAAAACK. IT’S YOUR TURN. JACK!!! IT’S YOUR TURN! JACK!!!!!! "

Apparently it’s Jack’s turn.

Smooth moves at the summer camp dance

Today's the last day of summer camp and the group celebrated with a potluck and a dance. The dance just ended when I popped in with potluck chicken. I asked the boys, sweaty and flushed, if they danced.
"No!" Sam said, at the same time Jack said, "Yes!"
"That's great - you danced!" I was happy and a little surprised to hear it. Sam had been dreading the dance. Girls were involved.
"Did you dance with a girl?"
"NO!" both said emphatically, glaring at me in that creepy twin way.
"Cool," I said, pretending to be a cool mom. "So you danced alone or with each other?"
Sam piped up. "Yea mom, we danced!" Jack nodded in agreement.
Pause.
Then Sam continued...
"Well, we beat each other up during the dance."
Well done boys.

Piet Mondrian - Who Knew?

Sam, the son of writers, is turning into quite the kindergarten scribe. I love reading the little notes in the margins of his school papers. "This is DUM!" (with a round circle dot to emphasize the exclamation point on the same week they learned about exclamation points).

The other day one of his margin notes caught my eye.

"Pie?" I read aloud. "Pie - ette? Pie-yet?"

Hey Sam, what did you write here, I ask. It says P-I-E-T.

He sighs and says, "It's Pete Mondrian, Mom."

Pete Mondrian? "Who's Pete Mondrian? Is that a new boy in school?"

No response. "Sam?" He looks up - stares into me with those big eyes of his. I think he thinks I'm goofing around so I make the international "huh?" gesture with my palms, shoulders and eyebrows up. (Some of you may know it as the famous "wha???? gesture).

"PIET MONDRIAN MOM!" (Because being a mom, I'm dumb AND deaf).
"You mean Pie-ette?" I ask.

"Pete! PETE!" he responds (like I know). "Pete Mondrian, mom."

I am a fountain of blank stares.

"Mom! Duh!!! Pete Mondrian. The ARTIST?! He makes paintings with lines and squares. Pete. Mon-dri-an. P.....I.....E.....T... MONDRIAN!!!!"

"Oh okay. That's great honey," I say, making a mental note to Google it later. A day or so later he brought home his very own Piet Mondrian painting from art class. Photo featured above. Apparently kindergarten has changed a lot. And when these kids get into the workforce - none of us has a chance.